


you're the only friend i need (sharing beds like little kids)

by jiaras



Series: Jiara Week [3]
Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Future Fic, Implied Sexual Content, JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks)-centric, Jiara July
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25598830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jiaras/pseuds/jiaras
Summary: (Jiara Week day 4: Destination Day)‘’Are we there yet?’’ Lavender asked, all rosy cheeks and chubby hands.JJ turned his head back, blond hair still disheveled from the rushed morning. ‘’No, bubba,’’ he pointed his index finger toward the suburban, two-story house from down the street. ‘’We’re still pretty much home, see?’’— in which JJ and Kiara take their three kids on a road trip to the lake house.
Relationships: JJ & Kiara (Outer Banks), JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks)
Series: Jiara Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852384
Comments: 14
Kudos: 62
Collections: Jiara July Jubilee, Jiara Ocean Kiss Soulmate Endgame Excellence (aka a jiara-centric fic collection)





	you're the only friend i need (sharing beds like little kids)

‘’Are we there yet?’’ Lavender asked, all rosy cheeks and chubby hands. 

JJ turned his head back, blond hair still disheveled from the rushed morning. ‘’No, bubba,’’ he pointed his index finger toward the suburban, two-story house from down the street. ‘’We’re still pretty much home, see?’’

Lavender nodded enthusiastically as if she understood, but as soon as JJ started the car and crossed the last row of houses and the bridge the separated the two sides of the island, her voice echoed through the SUV again. ‘’Daddy, are we there yet?’’

Kiara chuckled. From the three kids in the backseat, Lavender had always been the most prone to the never ending question whenever they were confined in the car for more than two minutes. _She’s an inquisitive little thing. She got that from you_ , JJ had told Kiara before, in a light-hearted mixture of accusation and adoration.

‘’How about we let you know when we’re close, Lav?’’ Kiara suggested, but even though Lavender muttered a quick _ok mama_ , Kiara was quite sure by the time they crossed the Cut and passed by uncle Johnny’s house, she’d ask it again. And again. And again.

That morning had been pretty hectic, to say the least. Delilah woke up from a nightmare at four in the morning (courtesy of uncle Pope, who showed the 5 year old his collection of books from med and coroner school), and JJ and Kiara took over an hour to soothe the girl, only for their alarm to start ringing a few minutes later.

Kiara was very adamant about leaving the house at a certain time so that they could avoid traffic — but, with three kids, that was sure to be a hassle. Elliot had an accident with his morning cereal — dropped the bowl on the brand new fuzzy rug Kiara had bought for the living room. As JJ crouched on the floor attempting to clear the milky white stain with a toothbrush, Lavender and Delilah figured it’d be a good idea to play with paint (painting _each other_ , for that matter), which meant a long bubble bath for the two. 

Quite honestly, it was a miracle that they were only one hour late. That is, until they crossed the plaque leaving Outer Banks, and 7 year old Elliot muttered ‘’Hey, dad.’’

JJ kept his eyes on the road, only giving his son a glimpse through the rear view mirror. ‘’What’s up, buddy?’’ And the SUV came to a sudden stop when the next words out of the boy’s mouth were ‘’Did you grab my bike?’’

He had, in fact, not grabbed the bike. Kiara shot him a side look when he immediately turned the car around, starting the way back to the house where the navy blue, astronaut themed bike had been forgotten — right on the front yard too, by the mailbox. 

‘’I know, I know, but I promised the little man I’d teach him.’’ JJ whispered to Kiara while the three kids were wrapped up in a loud conversation between themselves. Her face softened, and she let the smile she had been holding back paint her lips. ‘’It’s fine. Especially because I forgot the girls’ crayons on the kitchen counter, too.’’

JJ chuckled, his right hand gone to rest softly on Kiara’s bare thigh, rings cold against her skin. ‘’Oh, Kie, they’d have eaten you alive.’’ He joked, and she nodded ‘’Yes, _I know_.’’

Elliot, although looking an awfully lot like his mom, all curly dark hair and brown eyes, had JJ’s boyish spirit through and through. He had learned how to surf before he turned three, never wanted to have anything for dinner other than pepperoni pizza and root beer, and had the bad habit of mimicking and mouthing the words of his grandmother Anna whenever she attempted to complain about his lack of shoes and a shirt. _Nana, I’m six! No six year old needs a shirt_ , he had argued last December at the Carreras, refusing to wear a Christmas sweater in front of the professional photographer.

One thing he still hadn’t learn how to do, though, was to ride a bike without training wheels — he hadn’t cared to until a few weeks ago, too preoccupied with surfing and skateboarding, but developed a sudden interest in learning when he caught sight of his younger sisters in their pink and teal Barbie bikes. So, of course, JJ was quick to promise the boy they’d make good use of the weekend at the lake house.

Kiara’s phone started ringing right after JJ fit the bike in the car and the crayons inside the glove compartment, settling back on the driver’s seat. ‘’Hey, dad.’’ Kiara left it on speaker as she handed out packets of trail mix to the kids. 

‘’Hey, kiddo,’’ Mike Carrera’s voice sounded loud and clear, prompting Elliot, Lavender and Delilah to repeatedly yell out _grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa!_ as if they hadn’t seen him just the past weekend on Sunday barbecue. ‘’I see y’all are on the road already.’’

‘’Barely,’’ Kiara said, her hand playing with a few strands of JJ’s hair as he drove right past their neighbours mowing their lawn, waving. ‘’Because _someone_ here forgot Elliot’s bike.’’ 

JJ faked an overdramatic hurt expression, hand resting on his chest. ‘’Mike, your daughter forgot the crayons. She’s no better than me.’’ Kiara chuckled, and the pair continued the conversation with Mike for a few more minutes — the man pretended it was so he could remind them of where the front door key was, and how to handle the jammed window in the spare room, and how to make sure the mosquitos stayed away, when it was only because he’d miss having his family over on Sunday while they were away.

Mike and JJ didn’t start off on the right foot, to say the least. It was understandable, really — at sixteen, Mike saw JJ as a boy from the Cut who rinked of beer and weed, constantly found himself in trouble with the police and was macking his teenage daughter. And he did get used to the boy’s presence at the Carrera’s household and the family’s restaurant after a good few months (even invited him for Easter and Thanksgiving and Christmas), but all progress went out the window when Kiara found herself pregnant with Elliot at eighteen years old. 

A lot of screaming took place, and even more crying. Mike might have called JJ an _irresponsible bastard_ a few times, but made sure to give the blond boy a tight, affectionate hug the afternoon after an eight months pregnant Kiara showed off the first house she and JJ had managed to buy by the Cut — it was tiny, and it needed some work done, but Kiara had the brightest smile on her face when she talked about the crib JJ was building on his spare time for the nursery that was already painted a soft yellow.

One night, when Elliot was eleven months old, JJ and Mike got slightly beer drunk at the Carrera’s living room while watching baseball, and JJ might have mentioned that one of the best days of his life (besides, of course, the day Kie told him she loved him for the first time and the day Elliot was born kicking and screaming) had been when, on the celebration of Elliot’s six month, when Mike pulled him into a corner and said _you’re a good dad, kid. I’m proud of you_. Mike also might have shed a tear or two with the boy’s revelation, but neither of them really mentioned it.

The twin girls came into the world with wide blue eyes and heads full of blonde hair two years after Elliot, but there were only tears of joy and screams of excitement then. Mike also gave JJ a silly, already chipped mug that read **best dad of twins + 1**. _Couldn’t just say best dad_ , Mike had explained, _I’m older, I get to keep the best dad mug_. 

‘’Well, y’all have fun then. Call me if you need anything.’’ Mike said reluctantly after the signal kept dropping. ‘’Will do, dad.’’ Kiara spoke at the same time as his fiancé. ‘’Talk to you later, Mr. C.’’ Because no matter how many times JJ was asked to call the man _Mike_ , some old habits die hard.

After the call, it didn’t take long for the three kids to grow bored of the car ride — and that’s when Kiara went into full mom mode. She had prepared her own little version of Slug Bug — instead of having the kiddos whack each other in the arm whenever they saw a VW, she gave them personalized sheets to tally up the number of each coloured car they saw on paper. She had gone a little bit crazy on the laminated sheets, a full collection of Road Sign Bingo, Word Explorer and Puzzles. 

Kiara threw her feet up on the dashboard and rubbed her temples in defeat when she realized all the games she had spent countless hours working hard on barely kept the kids entertained for a full 45 minutes. They could be energetic little monsters when they wanted to, and that was about when JJ came in, his left hand caressing Kiara’s knee. ‘’Hey, kids, how about we play I Spy?’’

Elliot squealed in excitement, soon followed by his younger sisters. It was an activity they could usually keep going for at least a couple of hours before the trio grew tired, which would be just enough time to allow their arrival at the lake house close to Wilmington. 

‘’I spy with my little eye—’’ Kiara started, glossy lips curved into a smirk. ‘’Something that starts with the letter D.’’

As the kids’ heads moved around the inside of the car and they glanced out the side windows, JJ had a hard time holding back his typical randy remarks, but the way his pupils flared and a corner of his mouth lifted were a give away. 

Realization flooded Kiara’s face and her cheeks turned pink, smacking his shoulder light-heartedly, her fingers pressed into his skin with affection. ‘’You have a dirty, _dirty_ mind, Mr.’’ JJ’s expression went poker-faced, although his fingers continued to softly draw shapes on Kiara’s bare leg. ‘’I didn’t even say anything.’’

She chuckled. ‘’You didn’t have to. I know you too well, J.’’

The kids took turn asking questions, starting with the oldest. ‘’Is it inside the car?’’ Kiara nodded yes, and the twins whispered among themselves. ‘’Is it green?’’ Lavender asked, eyeing the green Lego piece in her hand. Kiara nodded no. ‘’Is it pretty?’’

Kiara’s mouth curved into a cheeky smile when she said ‘’Yes, _very_ pretty.’’ The kids thought for a minute, tiny noses wrinkled in confusion, when Elliot yelled out ‘’Is it _dad_?’’ 

She burst into laughter with a loud _yes, bub, you got it_!, and JJ’s whole face brightened. ‘’I _knew_ it always about me.’’ He joked, making sure to leave chaste kisses all over Kiara’s face as soon as the car stopped at a red light — she laughed harder when the kisses became silly and wet, the echoing of the kids’ _ew_ and _gross_ as background. 

And so, the rest of the car ride wasn’t bad at all. Sure, Lavender asked if they were there yet at least a dozen more times, Elliot dropped the trail mix all over the car floor mat and Delilah kept requesting bathroom breaks every ten to fifteen minutes, but the Maybanks knew how to have a good time even when inside a hot, crowded SUV.

The cozy log cabin right outside of Wilmington had belonged to the Carrera family for generations — although, only five years prior, when Kiara was pregnant with the twins, the property had passed down from Kiara’s great aunt to her dad. It soon became a tradition to spontaneously decide on a warm Friday night that it’d be a good idea to wake up early the next day, grab the kids and spend the weekend fishing, grilling and toasting marshmallows.

Taking from the way the three kids jumped out of the car as soon as Kiara helped them out of their seatbelts, it was safe to say they quite enjoyed this little tradition. Although a small cabin with only two bedrooms (one master and one with two sets of bunk beds), it did have an outdoor hot tub, a lap pool and a stone fire pit. The kitchen wasn’t bad, either — it was spacious and had reasonable amount of wooden cabinets, allowing the whole Maybank clan to have a little fun around Kiara as she prepared lunch.

They had their own little cooking playlist — JJ made it, but Kiara used it even when he wasn't around. It was a whole lot of ABBA, Bee Gees and The Beach Boys. _Good Vibrations_ played as they buttered the bread slices, _Waterloo_ when they topped each slice with shredded cheddar (a little extra for Elliot, because he asked nicely and JJ loved to make his babies smile) and _More Than A Woman_ when the kids watched JJ and Kiara grilling the sandwiches on two sets of skillets until the cheese was melty and the bread golden. 

There was a big oak tree in the yard (Lavender’s middle name was Oak, because Kiara had been standing with her back against the trunk of the tree when she received the news from her doctor that Delilah wasn’t the only baby she had been carrying), and they all ate their sandwiches underneath it, fresh air filling their lungs, bird chipping and the warm sun hitting their bare feet.

‘’This is the best grilled cheese _ever_ , mama.’’ Delilah said with her mouth full, and even though that was her comment whenever she ate a grilled cheese, it still made Kiara’s heart happy. JJ also seemed quite content with his lunch, his body at its most relaxed rested comfortably against Kiara, arm around her waist, head nestled on her chest.

‘’Thanks for lunch, mama.’’ JJ said, and he could feel Kiara’s chuckle vibrate through his own body as the kids repeated a loud _thank you, mama_ in unison. 

Kiara still remembered the first time she had been called mama by her kids — because, of course, JJ had been calling her mama since they were fourteen. Elliot was eight months old at the time, and JJ, after getting it on video, pouted for an entire hour because _he doesn’t like me as much as you_. There was nothing to worry about, though, because the girls both said dada at eleven months old, one after the other, and Kiara still had the picture of a thrilled JJ in between their cribs as they kept calling him over and over again.

Even though they had always planned on having two kids, after being surprised with twins they’d occasionally joke around that they needed to even the numbers. _You just want another boy who’ll say mama first Kie, because I’m one kid ahead of you right now_ , JJ teased on the day of the girls’ 4th birthday party.

There were days when the kids were struck down with the flu, throwing tantrums because they didn’t want to go to school and causing more damage destruction than Kiara ever thought possible — on those days, when she was about to tear her hair out, she couldn’t imagine how hard it’d be to have an infant to take care of on top of everything else.

But then, there were days like the ones spent at the log cabin. After lunch, shaded from the sun by an oak tree, the blond boy she had the pleasure of calling hers running around the grass with their three kids — pretending that he’s a dinosaur, playing hide and seek, saying that the mud was lava and ensuring his babies were safe from it by pulling them into his arms, tiny bare feet hovering over the ground.

That was _everything_. And she couldn’t get enough of it.

‘’Mama, come play.’’ Elliot cried out, the tanned skin around his neck flushed from laughing too hard. And she joined them of course, embraced by four pairs of expectant arms.

Kiara was quite sure no feeling in the world would ever come close to the happiness that swelled within her whenever she spent warm days under the sun with her family doing nothing too special — just enjoying each other’s presence, making each other laugh, singing and dancing and running. And they did that happily until their bodies were nearly collapsed from exhaustion, a feeling of joy so overwhelming it made their hearts throb.

By the afternoon, after attending Lav and Del’s tea time and getting his nails painted a sparkly lilac, JJ got ready to teach his son how to ride a bike. Kiara could see the two boys on the little dust road behind the cabin from where she stood in the pool with her girls, both reaching under the unicorn floatie and splashing water in each other’s faces playfully, and couldn’t help but see the irony in the way JJ explained to Elliot the importance of wearing the proper safety equipment.

She continued to watch them with adoring eyes as JJ had Elliot practice picking up his feet and putting them on the pedals while looking ahead, helping him gain balance. When the bike started moving, JJ didn’t let go of the handlebar, encouraging the focused curly haired boy with _hey, little buddy, you’re a natural_ and _are you sure you’ve never done this before? Or are you just trying to trick me?_

Elliot lost balance and fell down on the dirt as soon as JJ let him drive on his own. Kiara nearly got out of the pool and ran towards them on impulse, but held herself back — JJ could handle it. He tried not to make a fuss of the fall so that the boy wouldn’t be scared, and helped him up to his feet with a warm smile and a simple _hey, it happens, don’t worry about it. Let’s try that again_. 

So he fell down again. And again. And again. Each time he did, JJ would help him up, pat his back affectionately and make sure he knew he’d get it right next time. At one point, he did — Elliot pedaled all the way to the end of the road and circled back, stopping right by his dad’s feet with a shocked expression plastered on his face, as if not even he himself could believe he’d finally gotten the hang of it. 

Kiara cheered her son on so loudly that she couldn’t help but feel relieved by the lack of neighbouring houses. The girls joined her, howling and clapping their chubby hands, even though Kiara suspected they had no idea of what was going on, and only wanted to make some noise alongside their mom. 

Apart from the lack of blond hair and blue eyes, everything about JJ and Elliot was so similar that watching them interact was as if seeing JJ and his reflection in the mirror. They had the same shark tooth necklace dangling from their necks and collected a whole family of colourful beaded bracelets, them all stacked on their arms. Both ran their fingers through their hair with their head tilted to the right, bit the inside of their cheeks and drummed their fingers on whatever surface they could find — Kiara, therefore, always knew how they were feeling, and what they were thinking. 

In that moment, swinging their arms back and forth as they talked over each other in excitement about Elliot’s new found ability, Kiara felt a solemn sense of happiness. She never wanted to stop soaking in the way JJ’s eyes sparkled with nothing but absolute joy and adoration whenever he shared a special moment with the kids that he never got to experience himself as a child. 

Kiara, in fact, still remembered the first time Elliot had a nightmare, and immediately called for his dad to protect him from the shadows — JJ’s tired eyes had to fight back tears as he understood he was a safe haven to the boy, all he ever wanted after the years in which Luke had been the monster haunting his dreams. Their (not so) little family, although unexpected, had been the thing to make both JJ and Kiara’s lives worth living.

‘’Hey, Lav, Del,’’ Kiara called for her daughters, familiar baby blue eyes staring back at her. ‘’Let’s see who can go hug daddy and Eli faster.’’

And the girls sprinted towards their boys — Kiara jumped into JJ’s arms and he lifted her off the ground, his calloused hands holding on to her hips as to keep her steady. ‘’I love you, bub.’’ She declared, face buried in his neck, the feeling of his necklace against her cheek.

‘’I love you more, mama.’’

As they would continue to do for the many more years to come, the Maybanks spent the rest of the weekend dancing to the sound of Marley and Neil Diamond, toasting marshmallows by the fire pit and fishing bluegills. 

And that first night, they all nestled on JJ and Kiara’s bed (the girls tucked into the crooks of JJ’s arms, Elliot’s arms around his mom’s legs as his head comfortably rested on her right thigh) as she played the ukulele, a soft tune that she had written herself years before on the night seventeen year old JJ looked into her eyes and said _it’s you, Kie. Everything I need. You’re my home._

Their home made of two, then made of three, and then five, about to become a home of six in no more than eight months.

**Author's Note:**

> come cry about jiara (and way too many other ships) with me on tumblr 🤍 @jiaaras


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